Laminates of woven fabrics of poly(paraphenylene terephthalamide) fiber impregnated with epoxy resin are employed as facesheets over cores for certain aircraft applications. It has been found that transverse matrix microcracks are generated in the facesheets during thermal and moisture cycling. It is believed that the microcracks form because of stresses resulting from the mismatch of the laminate components in expansion and contraction during cycling. An object of the present invention is to reduce or to prevent formation of the microcracks while still maintaining acceptable mechanical properties.